Wild at Heart
by keacdragon
Summary: Summary: An AU what if? What if Kerchak hadn't died? I had this posted...then deleted it..tore up my notebook pages and tried to forget this plot bunny...I failed...now I'm redoing it. R&R please?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tarzan, just this idea...  
**

**Summary: An AU what if? What if Kerchak hadn't died?**

**I had this posted...then deleted it..tore up my notebook pages and tried to forget this plot bunny...I failed...now I'm redoing it.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Long, Hot Summer...**

xxx

Kerchak wasn't mourned, he was left to be one with the jungle. Kala was silent and sullen for days, but otherwise let her mate go peacefully. Tarzan took over as leader and guard of the family, using Kala's experience and knowledge to guide him.

It was a full year before the jungle changed once more.

xxx

Six miles from Dumont's trading post, the Family was enjoying the fresh termite mound hatchings.

Until metallic clangs burst into the air.

It was too close to comfort, the sounds echoing harshly in jungle.

"Tarzan..."

Kala was already counting the babies and young ones, making sure they each got back to their mothers.

"I'll check."

xxx

Terk followed as Tarzan swung quickly towards the harsh sounds, the last time they'd heard such noises had been the first and last time hunters had come to the jungle. When cages were being constructed.

Their memory was right, there was now a tall, chain link fence blocking off a section of the edge jungle by the coast, the top was taller than Tantor's back and had fanned wire ridges, preventing anything from climbing up the fence in or out.

"Why the heck is dere a fence? Dumont promised nta ta let any more hunte's in 'ere."

Tarzan merely nodded, jumping down from the tree, "Check around the fence, see how far it goes, I'll talk to Dumont."

xxx

Inside the trading post, Dumont was speaking rapidly in french with a lady dressed like Clayton had been when arrived. Tan shirt with pockets, long cargo pants and thick work boots, there was no scarf tucked under his chin, but her rich blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun to keep it out of her face. Another person was asleep under a light blanket pulled over all of them except their boots, laying on a pile of bags and a bundled net.

"Sacre blu! Oh pardon madame..."

The lady laughed as she turned to face Tarzan, "You must be the man of the jungle Dumont has been warning me about. I apologize for intruding."

"Cage."

The lady nodded, "I am from America, I help animals who have been injured and return them to their homes. Someone brought an animal that had been abused from England, when asked, we helped and then brought the animal here to come home. The cage will leave when the animal goes free, in a couple weeks, it won't move or anything, just metal, nothing else."

Tarzan didn't relax, especially when the lady picked up a case from the floor, allowing Dumont to examine the contents.

A black gun.

"No guns."

Dumont sighed loudly, swearing in french viciously.

The lady glared before holding up the weapon, "These only hold darts, meant to put an animal into a deep sleep, and will only be used on the one we are releasing if something goes wrong, I swear."

Again Tarzan didn't relax his stance but nodded stiffly, the lady's case only held a few feathered end metal darts, and there was only one case like hers that he could see.

xxx

Terk had circled the entire fence besides the side along the human camp, only four tents and one was just a covering for heavy boxes, not that many people. Coming back around, she saw the gate, just inside was a huge wooden box, similar to a cage yet solid with a few holes. Inside on a thick bed of dried grasses was a sleeping gorilla, deeply snoring...

Kerchak...

Tarzan hadn't believed Terk until he saw the sleeping silverback himself. The lady with Dumont had already taken her two companions to their tents after checking on the gorilla, saying he was still "knocked out" by one of the darts.

xxx

xx

xxx

Closer to sunset, the male awoke with a snarl, stumbling from the crate and into the darkening trees. Cheryl the blonde watched him stumble, bumping into a few trees before regaining his coordination and running as fast as he could to the limits of the fence, a strangled snarl each time he found the limits.

xxx

Kerchak had reached the farthest section of the fence from the humans, heaving for air as he shook the fence angrily...they'd done it to him again...drugged him and moved him...how many times until it ended...

"Kerchak?"

He looked up quickly, he hadn't heard his name is so long it hurt. Terkhanna...Kila's daughter, Kala and his niece...she had grown a little, but not to the point he didn't know her. Terk crept closer, slowly until he shifted his crouch into a relaxed sit, softly humming her name as she rushed forward, hands slipping in between the fence links, smaller than his...

"Yer alive...yer ok!"

The silverback nodded, leaning into her touch, it wasn't Kala, but it was family...

Tarzan caught his attention next, crouching on a branch above them watching, and now searching for something.

"Aw man the Family, dere still up rive'."

Tarzan waited for Kerchak's order, he was still leader. "Go Tarzan, keep them safe."

"Yes Kerchak, I'll bring them here in the morning, it will be safer then."

The silverback had already accepted that Terk would leave with her best friend and cousin yet she didn't, settling to lay against the fence next to him as he settled down for the night, as close to his family as he could be.

"Terk...go, it's not safe."

" 'm not leavin' ya, not when ya jus' got back home."

Home...

xxx

xx

xxx

The night passed without worry, but Terk had to hide in the morning when Cheryl and a red head like Jane came looking for Kerchak, coming within a few yards of him cautiously before the silverback snarled, roaring and pounding the ground until they left slowly.

By the time neither could hear them, and the loud clang of the gate had rang out, the family had arrived. Terk, Tarzan, and couple of their young male buddies stayed in the trees as guards. Leaving the family to huddle close to Kerchak, touching him, humming happily, and making sure he was alright. It was a bit overwhelming for the male and he didn't let himself speak much. Then the family moved, letting another member through.

Kala

* * *

**Sorry for deleting this! I really mean it! I didn't mean to! I regretted it right away but couldn't bring myself to fix it...  
**

**Review? even if it's to yell/flame me?**

**Please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tarzan, just this idea...  
**

**Summary: An AU what if? What if Kerchak hadn't died?**

**I had this posted...then deleted it..tore up my notebook pages and tried to forget this plot bunny...I failed...now I'm redoing it.**

* * *

**Chapter Two  
**

**Runnin' Loose and Wild  
**

xxx

Kala was more emotional at the return of her mate than Kerchak was, growling and whining at the fence between them as she stretched her arms through as far as she could to touch her mate. The silverback merely hummed gently as she rubbed his cheek, only changing moods when she tried to climb the fence to get to him.

"Don't Kala, you will get hurt."

"Why...let us help you, why are you in cage?"

"The humans don't understand, the cage will come down in a few days, until then this is as close as we can get."

Kala growled softly, hooting in concern before the gate clanged again, this time followed by loud footsteps through the jungle towards them.

Tarzan barked quickly, grabbing a wayward juvenile from climbing too high and handing the little male to his mother, the females quickly dispersed into the bushes, hiding in plain sight, Kala only moving when Tarzan physically tugged her back.

This time it was a younger blonde, the gun held loosely in her hands as she came within a few feet of Kerchak even as he growled and beat the ground to warn her. In her hand she held a fruit, crouching down and holding it out to the male to entice him to eat something, in response the silverback lunged, just enough to get her to leave.

Kala crept back out as soon as the red-head had ducked behind a tree, watching as Kerchak picked up the dropped fruit and handed it to her.

Neither saw the blonde's eyes on them before she left completely.

xxx

xx

xxx

"I'm telling you, it seems that he knows that female, she was relaxed and everything, eagerly getting closer to him and took the orange like it happened everyday, not caring that it wasn't native to here at all!"

Cheryl rolled her eyes as she lounged on her cot, Stacey the red-head was sprawled on the floor next to her as Carly, the youngest of their team paced in front of them.

"Sweetie, one thing you should have never gone in there alone, even with a gun, those darts can take up to an hour to fully kick in and that silverback could have killed you in under a minute. Plus, maybe the female was in heat and found a mate, this is a huge island and few humans ever come here, it's likely the female wandered from her own group when she smelled him and came to see."

Carly sighed, crossing her arms in a huff, Cheryl and Stacey had been working on rehabilitating animals longer than she'd been alive, she was only on this trip because she had promised to obey the rules and be an observer. That didn't mean she liked the idea...

Leaving her boss' tent, Carly stomped to the trading post to enjoy the fan inside for a few minutes before she had to start moving supplies, the silverback hadn't eaten since before the flight from the States, the drug wouldn't allow him to. Now he should be starving and willing to take food from them, yet nothing...

xxx

xx

xxx

On Kerchak's orders. Tarzan had lead the reluctant but content family further up river and into the jungle, not wanting the other humans to see them. Kala refused to leave his side, sleeping pressed against the fence in her bed of leaves and grasses that he copied on his side of the barrier. The female also foraged a few yards from him to find food, Kerchak would not leave the fence line to get his own, not if it meant being closer to the humans.

The night was half over, yet anyone could see clearly with the full moon beaming in the sky, Kerchak woke first, more in tune with the soft clicks of someone sneaking in the fence and creeping across the enclosure. Kala wouldn't wake fast enough to hide before the young blonde, Carly...slipped out form between a pair of trees.

She wasn't dressed like a worker as Kerchak had come to know her, she was more relaxed, clothed in a light shirt and shorts, no shoes to let her feel the jungle beneath her feet. The gun hung on its ever noticeable black strap, and the sight made Kerchak growl.

Kala whimpered behind him as he moved to block her view of the human, Carly must have understood as she removed the gun, dropping it to the ground and kicking it away from her reach. The silverback merely growled again, watching closely as she fussed with a part of the fence before the panel gave way and crashed to the ground.

The noise hurt, but the panic setting in as Cheryl and Stacey yelled sharply, the gate banging open as they came running.

Carly grunted in her throat, giving the soft command Kerchak had come to recognize as 'come' from the humans, her hand was held out as she stepped on the fence to show it was safe.

The silverback followed, realizing in a second what the girl had done as she tossed the gun into the bushes and grabbed the fence sharply, she yanked even though it was useless, tearing her hand open as the metal dug into her skin and brought blood.

She was faking his escape.

Kerchak nodded once to her before leading Kala away from the fence, pounding into the plant life and the night.

He was free...

He was home...

xxx

xx

xxx

Kala took the lead just enough to guide them back to the family, and eventually slowed her pace as Kerchak heaved for air after several minutes.

Judging by the faint wheezing in her mate's chest, Kerchak hadn't run like that in awhile.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded, nuzzling her cheek briefly but not stopping. She understood his urgency, get as far away from the humans as possible.

"They took you, didn't they?"

Again he nodded before pausing in his movements, "Others with that hunter Clayton had taken me first, they treated my wound but something went wrong and I was sick. These humans took me away from them and healed me. Bringing me back here when the others confessed."

Kala nodded, brushing against his side before continuing on, slipping in between the first few nests unnoticed.

"Hey Auntie K! What's hangin'?"

"Hello Terk."

That woke up the rest of the family since Terk's yell alerted the guards and Tarzan, at least the man-ape knew to be quiet. The family spent a few hours reminding Kerchak he was missed, even a few of the babies remembered him and hummed and cooed as he lightly stroked their backs.

Tarzan was the only one giving Kerchak space, staying in a nearby tree as he watched for danger. The silverback appreciated it, especially as he began to really feel his strength leaving him from the dash from the fence. Terk must have seen how he'd begun to slump over slightly, exhaustion and lack of food taking its toll.

" 'ey guys, let's get ta sleep, I wanna hit de mango groves first dis year!"

Kerchak gave the young female a short nod, following Kala to a nest provided by Tarzan, the family had already settled back to sleep as the silverback laid down next to his mate, humming softly as she cuddled against his side.

Now he was home.

xxx

xx

xxx

Finding the two humans that had been with Clayton had been a shock, the older, yet smaller male had asked to check the scar on his shoulder where the bullet had been lodged. After Tarzan translated he only agreed as he watched the female act so kindly to the infants and their mothers completely happy.

The professor was soft-spoken ad gentle, old, calloused fingers gently probing the rather jagged scar, no matter how hard the humans had tried it had remained ugly.

"Daddy? How is it?"

"Healed rather well, the scar tissue runs a bit deeper than I expected, but the muscle damage has healed around it. There shouldn't be any problems with it other than maybe some stiffness occasionally."

Kerchak had been left well alone at that, even Tarzan who had seemed reluctant to leave the family had let him be in full control for the day. Kala led them to the mango groves, already assigning juvenile females to watch the infants while their mothers foraged, the young males Terk was fond of rough-housing with taking over as sentinels with practiced ease. Things slid into a normal routine, except when a member would move past Kerchak they would brush up against him lightly, allowing him to know he had been missed and was wanted.

The day passed with Kerchak eating properly, sitting near enough the young males to hear the news without outright asking them. Kala never left his side until it was her turn among several others to watch the babies and eat everyone eat comfortably.

Tarzan and the human female...Jane returned to the herd at sunset, the infants playing with Jane again briefly while their mothers fixed nests for the night.

Kerchak had stood guard for the evening, catching up on the structure of the family as they interacted. Mainly such things as the progress of the young ones, a few of the males would need to be chased off soon, while one of the mothers had weaned her daughter and was ready to mate again...

"Kerchak...?"

Turning, he found Tarzan approaching, ducked down a little in submission, he may be leader, but Kerchak would always be higher than him.

"Yes?"

"Do you still wish for me to care for the family?"

Thousands of questions hid within just one asked, the main was the ask for approval, and whether or not the two humans could stay near the family.

"I will not be able to protect the family for some time, I can lead but not fight, I still need you here."

Tarzan nodded, head lowering in understanding, Kerchak sighed softly, glancing back at the family where a mother was trying to ease an infant from Jane's arms where the baby was clinging, not wanting to give up the playmate just yet.

"Tarzan, they can stay, as long as no harm comes to the family."

A noise behind him let him know Tarzan liked that idea, then gentle touch of the man's hand on the silverback's own showed he was happy and understood. A soft hum slid from the older male in response before Tarzan climbed down from the sentry spot and headed to the female, easing the baby into his own arms and tickling it until it relaxed and went to its mother to escape.

Kala had settled into a nest, waiting for him to join her, he shook his head, remaining at his post for the night, he'd sleep tomorrow when Tarzan returned to take the family upriver further. They could balance the duties of family leader...

The family slept peacefully as Kerchak stood guard, none of them waking as the night side of the jungle took over. The silverback sighed softly as the moon had settled on its far horizon, teasing the sun to dare and interrupt its time in the sky.

A scream pounded into the air, startling a few infants and mothers awake, he hummed at them, calming their fears. The scream came again, a bit softer...a panther was on the prowl over the far river.

The cat's actions were not what unsettled the silverback...it was the scream, always that scream...it would haunt him for ages to come...

Because the last time he had heard such a scream, blood had been on his fur...

* * *

**Review please! Thank you so much for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tarzan, just this idea...  
**

**Summary: An AU what if? What if Kerchak hadn't died?**

**I had this posted...then deleted it..tore up my notebook pages and tried to forget this plot bunny...I failed...now I'm redoing it.**

* * *

**Chapter Three  
**

**Take an Inch  
**

xxx

Five weeks passed with Tarzan watching the family during the day until late afternoon when Kerchak took over after eating himself and sleeping. The two shift arrangement worked well, it allowed Kerchak to ease back into being leader fully and let Tarzan have time with his mate.

The professor had been right, some mornings after standing guard during the night, Kerchak's scarred shoulder would be stiff and uneasy to move. One morning was to the point he couldn't move because of it, leading Kala to fuss over him while he rested for half the day.

Other than that there was nothing to really worry about. Kerchak did not allow Jane and the professor to stay with the family most nights, only on ones where the area to sleep was secluded and sheltered, worrying about weaker humans slowing them down or causing problems.

The nights he did let them stay, Kala made sure they were settled near a few of the mothers who were very welcoming to them with older young ones, the little ones had a tendency to crawl from their mothers and cuddle with Jane.

As for positions in the family, Jane had become the well-used babysitter, she didn't eat as much as the mothers, and was perfectly happy playing with the young ones and teaching them manners, mostly it was not to bite elders or pull hair...

xxx

xx

xxx

Jane laughed as the youngest pair of twins in the family rolled off her shoulders from where they'd climbed to tug her hair loose from the messy bun. Currently she was watching about six baby gorillas, between the ages of two months as the male twins were, to the one year old male who was her worst student when it came to matters.

Tarzan was somewhere above her, watching to make sure her father stayed balanced on the branch he was sitting on to observe the gorillas while they foraged through the fruit grove, mostly fruit-bearing trees.

The woman didn't turn at the heavy movements of a gorilla coming around behind her, mothers passed by to either collect their child or to drop them off with Jane.

At least it didn't matter to her the identity until the oldest juvenile spun away from her, colliding with the other gorilla.

Kerchak

Jane's breath shortened as the silverback nudged the little one to his feet before moving to lay on his stomach watching the juveniles. The little male, Raja, now decided to pick on the youngest female, six month old Meena. Meaning Jane was stuck either holding back the already powerful Raja from her, or trying to restrain the twins from joining in.

Palak and Pallab, the twins, were currently tucked in Jane's arms as Raja rushed from where she's tucked him behind her, lunging at Meena and biting her thigh harshly.

Jane didn't get the chance to stop him, Kerchak had rocked to his feet and grabbed the female out of harm's way at her pained squeal. Raja lunged at Kerchak instead then, not understanding why his target had been taken from him. Meena left Kerchak's grasp and ran to Jane, cuddling into her skirt while Kerchak dealt with Raja.

Raja gave up on taunting the older male as soon as he realized he couldn't get away with that, instead attacking viciously.

*_cough-nng_*

The young male paid no attention to the deep noise the first time, only responding at the second when Kerchak cuffed his head lightly at the bite.

Jane could figuratively see the male's brain click in on the new form of discipline, for several minutes Raja tested Kerchak with every trick he used to get his way with Jane, even going as far as climbing on him and rolling off to let out a fake wail, trying to stir a response. The silverback never flinched, either ignoring the youngling or making the noise again, a deep coughing bark, forceful enough to get Raja's attention, but not enough to scare him.

By watching the silverback closely, Jane found what she'd been doing wrong. And the new knowledge was put to the test when after trying to bite Kerchak's head led to Raja being rolled away from the older male.

Now his target was Jane.

Raja spun around several times, coming closer to Jane with each pass before aiming to sink his teeth into her leg as he shoved Meena harshly aside.

_*cough-nng!*_

The yearling gorilla froze, jerking back at his caretaker's sudden discipline, letting loose a wail, the yearling crept away from Jane, back to his mother who had come to stop his tirade against the other little ones.

Raja looked back over his mother's shoulder, sticking his tongue out at Jane impishly.

Jane did it right back, earning an amused snort from Kerchak as he sat up, beginning to play with Meena and Lilu.

"Jane."

Turning her head, she found Tarzan hanging upside down from a vine, just out of reach of the twins as they tried to climb up after him, only managing to get a foot off the ground before sliding.

"Hello Tarzan."

"Professor want know you ok?"

Jane rolled her eyes, poking Tarzan's nose a bit childishly just to make his face wrinkle in amusement.

"Tell Daddy I'm fine, Raja's just being himself."

Tarzan nodded, flipping back upright to climb the vine with ease.

The silence, or at least jungle silence lasted another few minutes before Archimedes Porter came down from his tree, sitting near Jane as Meena crawled into his lap to sleep.

"Jane dear?"

"Yes daddy?"

"How long has Kerchak been here with you?"

The woman paused, glancing up at what little sunlight she could see, then looked around at how far the mothers had moved about.

"I'd say about an hour."

The professor smiled.

"And what does that mean daddy?"

Archimedes moved a bit closer to her when Kerchak's gaze fell on the two of them for a moment before he turned back to half wrestling with Palak and Pallab.

"The more time the silverback spends with or helping a new member of his troop, the more he accepts them, I saw him come over when Raja began to misbehave, he settled the problem and began helping..."

Jane smiled as her father wandered off somewhere else, the silverback was accepting them...

xxx

xx

xxx

Kerchak hadn't meant to sleep that night, but he'd fallen into slumber early in the evening, Tarzan calmly took over for the night, not disturbing the silverback.

...

_He was drugged, that's why the pain was dull. His shoulder hadn't hurt for days because of it. The humans had ceased to jab him with the smaller things, the drug must be in his food._

_He didn't care, the pain was gone..._

_That scream...it hurt his hearing and he roared out in anger because of it._

_The screaming didn't stop._

_There was still pain..._

...

Kerchak awoke with a dull grunt, shaking his head in confusion as he realized it was just a dream, it still hurt though...

The family remained sound asleep, ignorant of the silver back rising and moving away to sit near the river, staring at the silent, cool waters.

"Kerchak?"

Tarzan lowered himself from his tree, checking on his foster father with care.

"I'm fine...just...can't sleep..."

The human nodded before shifting to crouch on a rock, eyes scanning the riverbanks carefully.

"Why did those humans carry guns? The ones that brought you home."

Kerchak sighed, "They...were defending themselves..."

"Why?"

The question was plain and in full confusion, only making the deep ache hurt even more.

"The jungle life knows to stay away from the coast, as well as anything new..."

"They were defending themselves from _me_..."

Tarzan stiffened, going quiet and still.

"Kerchak...w-why?"

The silverback groaned, turning away for a moment, and looking right at his reflection, his dark grey eyes turning a deep green in the moonlit water...They weren't his eyes...

"I...killed a human..."

* * *

**Review please?  
**


End file.
